Earnings Call Insights: First Hawaiian (FHB) Q3 2026
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HAVANA — The Caribbean island of Nevis has received a financial boost in honor of one of its most famous sons, Alexander Hamilton, who went on to become a founding father of the United States and America’s first treasury secretary.
The U.S. government this month awarded $245,000 to restore the home where some believe Hamilton once lived as the U.S. celebrates its 250th anniversary.
Hamilton was born on Nevis in the mid-18th century and spent his childhood living at his adopted father’s home in Charlestown.
The 17th-century Georgian stone building is now Hamilton House, a museum that houses documents from the famous forefather’s early years and features exhibits honoring other Caribbean personalities. But it has demanded constant repairs: time and salty air have damaged the woodwork.
Nevis Premier Mark Brantley told the Associated Press on Wednesday that he’s grateful for the funds.
“We have tried valiantly as locals to preserve these very important historical monuments,” he said.
Despite Hamilton having lived only the early part of his childhood in Nevis, the premier believes his legacy is inspiring.
“Hamilton is significant because I think it’s a demonstration of what a small island like Nevis, a little dot in the ocean, can contribute to the founding of the greatest nation in the world, the United States,” Brantley said.
The two-story, Georgian stone building that was originally built around 1680 was destroyed by an earthquake in 1840 and was last restored in 1983.
Brantley said the restoration work is important to both the U.S. and Nevis: “Hamilton remains, I think, an iconic figure for us and a figure that we can look at his legacy and inspire our own people to achieve and to know that greatness is available for all of us.”
Rams receiver Puka Nacua will not practice Friday because of a calf injury and will be listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders, coach Sean McVay said Friday.
Nacua took part in the majority of practice on Thursday but did not finish it. McVay indicated that tests revealed “a little minor thing in there,” and that Nacua would be a game-time decision Sunday.
“I don’t think he knows exactly when it occurred,” McVay said, adding, “he felt it where he wasn’t able to have some of the power and full explosion … but i don’t think he was aware of any sort of specific play that led to it.”
Nacua played in the season-opening loss to the San Francisco 49ers and then sat out two games because of a hip injury that caused abdominal soreness. He returned and produced more than 100 yards receiving in each of the next two games, and then caught six passes for 80 yards in last Sunday’s 18-16 defeat by the Arizona Cardinals.
Nacua, the NFL receptions leader in 2025, has 37 catches for 417 yards and a touchdown, and he also has rushed for a touchdown this season.
Nacua’s injury is the latest in a series suffered by a Rams team that opened the season as the favorite to win Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium, but has lost its last two games to fall to 2-4.
Receiver Davante Adams is expected to be sidelined six to 10 weeks because of a hamstring injury suffered against the Cardinals.
Jordan Whittington, Konata Mumpfield, Tutu Atwell and rookie CJ Daniels are other Rams receivers.
“It’s our job to figure out, all right, what are some of the spots we can put them in that accentuate their skillsets,” McVay said.
Inside linebacker Nate Landman is out because of a concussion, McVay said. So veteran Eric Kendricks, who was signed to the practice squad a few weeks ago, will be activated to the roster against the Raiders.
Cornerback Trent McDuffie, who sat out against the Cardinals because of a groin injury, did not practice this week and will be listed as questionable against the Raiders.
Lawyers for two accused officials say Department of Justice seeking to revive scandal before midterm vote.
Published On 23 Oct 202623 Oct 2026
Two former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents have been charged in connection with a 2020 probe into a laptop belonging to former President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden.
The former officials, Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides, were charged with lying to Congress. They made their first court appearance in Washington, DC, on Friday.
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Lawyers for the officials accused the Department of Justice of filing the charges to revive the salacious saga just days before the November 3 midterm vote, in which Republicans face an uphill battle against Democrats to maintain control of Congress.
A lawyer for Floris said she “served our nation as a dedicated FBI intelligence officer for nearly 20 years”, while accusing the Justice Department of building its case on hearsay.
“Yet today, the DOJ [Justice Department] has accused her falsely of a crime on the say-so of politicians, not on the facts,” the statement said.
“It’s no coincidence the government is filing these nonsense charges now, years later, on the eve of an election.”
Floris and Benavides had overseen the Foreign Intelligence Task Force (FITF) at the FBI when Hunter Biden’s laptop was found. The pair testified to Congress that the unit, which focuses on foreign interference in US elections, was not involved in the laptop investigation.
In a criminal complaint, federal prosecutors alleged the statements contradicted messages sent during the same period.
While launched by Trump during his first term, the FITF was heavily targeted by Republicans under former US President Joe Biden. They charged the unit was politically biased and used to cover up information about Biden’s laptop.
The unit was disbanded when Trump took office for the second time in January 2025.
The existence of the laptop became known in October of 2020, just weeks before Biden and Trump faced off in a presidential election.
Its strange origins, having been dropped off at a Delaware computer repair shop and apparently abandoned by Hunter Biden, prompted suspicion. Its contents were first reported on by the New York Post, based on information provided to Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani.
Several former intelligence officials warned that the laptop had the hallmarks of a Russian disinformation campaign. However, the FBI later seized and verified that the laptop and its contents, including messages related to the younger Biden’s foreign business ties and explicit photos of his drug use, were authentic.
The laptop was later used to back federal gun and tax evasion charges against Hunter Biden, although no wrongdoing related to his business ties or connection with his father was found.
Trump FBI Director Kash Patel has pledged to investigate the agency’s conduct throughout Biden’s presidency. Critics have accused him of flagrant politicalisation.
“Lying to Congress by senior FBI officials strikes at the heart of our system. No one is above the law,” Patel said in a statement posted on X.
The Justice Department has historically sought to avoid public and overt investigative acts in the direct lead-up to an election that involve candidates or that risk influencing an outcome.
But officials in the last two weeks have made a series of bold moves in cases with political undertones, including a search of Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar’s house in an immigration fraud investigation.
The department also unsealed a corruption indictment on Thursday against powerful Democratic Virginia state Senator L Louise Lucas.
Israel has imposed a lockdown across the occupied West Bank after a shooting near Hebron killed two Israeli soldiers. Israeli forces raided Palestinian homes and arrested residents. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened a military operation on a scale unseen since 1967.
Published On 23 Oct 202623 Oct 2026
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RAZORLIGHT are keen to show they’ve still got the golden touch as they prepare for their 28-date tour across the UK and Europe.
The new shows will see Johnny Borrell and Andy Burrows celebrating the 20th anniversary of their self-titled second record, which spawned hits including America, In The Morning and Before I Fall To Pieces.
Speaking at the Ovo Arena Wembley, where the band plays on December 4, frontman Johnny recalls: “The first time we played here was supporting the Manic Street Preachers, it was a great show.”
Buzzing to be back, drummer Andy adds: “We feel very lucky, but at the same time we also feel like we did something really cool.”
The tour starts in Europe and reaches the UK with Glasgow on November 26, before cities including Nottingham, Bristol and Leeds.
And time on the road means more time to make new music.
“I’m hoping we do some writing on the road because we used to do that a lot,” Johnny says.
“Now we’re going out on the tour bus again, I think we’ll have a good chance of doing that.
“We’ve got a couple of really good songs at the moment and the next step is bringing it to the band and we’ll see how it sounds.
“I like where we’re at with Razorlight at the minute, we’ve got the bit between our teeth.”
Andy says: “These shows and playing together will fuel that. It would be easy to play some gigs, earn some money and be like, ‘See you in two years.’
“But we have that drive to say, ‘F**k, we need to do this again and do it better’.”
Johnny adds: “Everyone has to bring their A-game, then we need to meld together because then it creates something incredible.”
Johnny thinks the group — which first formed in 2002 — have some exciting years ahead.
He explains: “I think a band needs that hunger. And I think we have that right now.
“We’re writing new material and we’ve got that drive.
“I always feel most comfortable in that kind of position where I’m fighting and trying to prove something. I like being the underdog and I like taking it on. When we play live, we’re not playing along to a backing track or anything pre- recorded or a click track or something like that, which 90 per cent of bands are doing now.
“It’s depressing. People do it because it’s easier and it’s cheaper to do. Anyone can go off and do 364 days of something else, then turn up and get a haircut and look like they’re in a band, you know?
“But we’re doing it the real way.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re the biggest band in the world. It doesn’t matter if you’re like the newest, youngest band starting out.
“If you’re doing it properly and you’re doing it for the love of the music, it’s a long road and you just have to keep fighting.
“And that’s our vibe right now.”
RAYE was the big winner at the Mercury Prize do after taking home the coveted gong.
She received the award for her incredible second record, This Album May Contain Hope.
After the bash at Newcastle’s Utilita Arena, the star was snapped leaving in a faux fur coat and fluffy slippers while holding her trophy out for the waiting photographers.
Raye, who turns 29 today, said: “I just poured so much heart into this album, I really did. This accolade is serious and something that I always dreamed to one day receive. I just feel really grateful.
“It’s the best birthday present I could have asked for.”
Olivia Dean left the night empty-handed but made up for her loss by partying until 3am with her pals in Newcastle.
One of my mates spotted the Man I Need singer heading off with her friends to cool DIY music venue The Lubber Fiend.
They told me: “Olivia might have lost to Raye but she was in great spirits. She went dancing with her mates and was having the time of her life. She’s a great girl and a proper good laugh.”
ROBBIE WILLIAMS, Kings of Leon and Fatboy Slim have been announced as the headliners for the 25th Sky Presents Isle Of Wight Festival.
They will be joined by a slew of stars including Becky Hill, Kaiser Chiefs, Myles Smith, Cruz Beckham& The Breakers, Courteeners, Rudimental and Scouting for Girls.
The event, which takes place across four days from June 17 next year, still has some more acts to be announced.
Tickets go on sale at 8am on Monday,
Festival director Caroline Giddings said: “There’s a real mix of artists for different generations and tastes, and there’s still more to come.
“We put a lot of thought into what happens beyond the main stages, too.”
SINGER Jojo Siwa wows in lace as she attends the 2026 Dancers Against Cancer Gala in Beverly Hills.
The former child star looked worlds away from her wild pop star persona as she walked the red carpet in a stunning white dress.
The singer was in good company at the glitzy bash, with actress Carmen Electra and singer Janet Jackson also in attendance.
JoJo is currently enjoying some downtime in America after releasing a series of singles following her stint in the Celebrity Big Brother house last year.
GEORGE MICHAEL’s estate is hosting a free screening for NHS staff of his film, The Faith Tour, at London’s Roundhouse .
The show comes 20 years after his gig at the same venue for nurses, to thank them for caring for his mum who died of cancer in 1997.
Tickets will be distributed by NHS England.
STRIP away his rock star status and Noel Gallagher is just like us.
In the new episode of Chicken Shop Date, he tells host Amelia Dimoldenberg: “I’m pretty low-key. My children live with me. We played a gig in São Paulo to 90,000 and I got home and came downstairs to find my two lads arguing over what was left in a box of Coco Pops. I thought to myself: ‘48 hours ago I was on stage – now I am arguing with two bellends about Coco Pops.’”
IF you love the countryside but prefer something glam over actually getting mucky, this one’s for you.
Silchester Farm in Hampshire delivers all the charm of a country escape without you ever having to ruin your shoes.
This rustic retreat was even featured on Made in Chelsea, which tells you something about who you’ll be rubbing shoulders with here.
From where to eat to local history, here’s everything you need to know about staying at Silchester Farm in Hampshire.
This stay is in Silchester, a small village close to Basingstoke in Hampshire. The farm is less than an hour’s train journey away from London.
If travelling by car, the farm is well-signposted through a series of pleasant country lanes, crossing over wooden bridges and past old-fashioned country pubs and pretty churches.
A popular wedding venue, Silchester Farm is a stylish rural retreat set among fields of quietly grazing sheep and calm countryside.
The site centres around a series of manicured flower and vegetable patches, vine-draped arbours and an outdoor barn kitchen.
Framing the outskirts of the vegetable patches you’ll find the Pyggies, nine giant, self-contained pig arks.
There’s room on the steps outside to drop off your wellies and brolly from your day at the farm. Once you open the door, you’re met with cosy warm orange lighting, a relaxing wood scent, and a giant bed you’ll immediately want to jump on.
The Pyggies are equipped with kitchenettes, which have lovely touches like glass-bottled milk in the fridge, posh teabags as well as matching cup and saucer sets.
In our Pyggy, Rosemary, a large telly sat above a cosy wood burner, opposite a large sofa to sink into. The bed was piled up with cosy throws, and behind a wooden screen was a roomy bathtub complete with the Silchester Farm’s own soaps and body creams.
A spacious rainfall shower, cosy curved ceiling and giant glass doors letting the sunlight pour through were the cherry on top of this chic countryside accommodation.
Rooms start from £252 per night for two, with great rates on last-minute bookings in particular. See SilchesterFarm.co.uk.
The Trough Farm Shop on-site is a great spot for brunch, with coffee, sausage rolls, cakes and pastries available, with indoor and outdoor seating.
As for dinner, you’re best off booking in at a nearby pub, as the restaurant here is usually reserved for wedding guests.
The Plough Inn is a pretty, restored 18th century pub serving food and local ales, while The Calvella Arms does a spectacular sticky toffee pudding.
There are, however, food events you can book yourself onto at the farm. The Sunday Club offers fantastic roasts with giant yorkies (from £22) while the Harvest Feast sees the outdoor kitchen come alive with seasonal produce served by a roaring fire. Check dates here.
Silchester is a Roman village, and is a short walk from well-preserved, third century walls as well as amphitheatre ruins. Reception will happily direct you on the walking route.
While there’s no gym at a rustic retreat like this, there are bicycles available to hire, as well as a tennis court facing the pristine country gardens.
Each of the Pyggies sleep up to two people, equipped with king-sized beds fit for two adults.
This retreat is best for couples’ escapes or friends getaways.
While there are ramps available for accessing the farm’s buildings and gardens, the site is made up of pebble and grass pathways also.
Silchester Farm recommend disabled visitors are accompanied by a companion where possible. For more information, see their website.
Federal immigration agents violently detained a 20-year-old U.S. citizen and Santa Maria, Calif., High School student with disabilities on Wednesday morning, according to school and city officials.
The student, who has limited verbal communication, was walking to school when agents tackled him, questioned him about his citizenship and restrained him in their vehicle. He was eventually returned to the area where he was picked up and walked to school, where officials called for an ambulance to take him to the hospital, said Santa Maria City Council member Gloria Soto.
The student underwent surgery for injuries to his wrist, she said, and was left with bruises and lacerations.
Soto said a school resource officer obtained security footage from a nearby grocery store and confirmed that the people who had detained the student are agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
In an emailed statement, an unidentified ICE spokesperson wrote that agents were conducting a targeted enforcement operation in Santa Maria “when they encountered an individual they believed matched the description of the criminal illegal alien target.”
“When the individual resisted officers, refused lawful commands, and assumed a fighting stance with clenched fists, they relied on their training to safely control the situation until they could confirm his identity, whereupon he was released,” the spokesperson wrote.
The spokesperson added that claims that the student suffered broken bones are false because “he never requested medical assistance.”
Soto said it appears the student was racially profiled.
“Our community is living in terror right now and this needs to stop,” she said, referencing a recent uptick in immigration arrests across central California. “I’m a mother, and the thought of my child not being safe walking to school is frightening.”
The Santa Maria Police Department declined to comment and referred questions to ICE.
Alma Hernandez, board president of Santa Maria Joint Union High School District, said she was horrified by ICE’s actions.
“Our district remains committed to protecting our students and families,” she said.
This is a developing story.
Samoa score 14 unaswered tries as they thrash Wales 76-0 to secure their first win in Pool A at the 2026 Women’s Rugby League World Cup, whilst the result leaves Wales with two defeats from two.
MATCH REPORT: Samoa run in 14 tries to thrash Wales at World Cup
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The Hotel Clark has been throwing its stately shadow across Hill Street since 1914, first as a fancy lodging in the formative years of downtown Los Angeles, then as a last-resort residential hotel for the aged and desperate, then as a vast, lifeless structure between Grand Central Market and Pershing Square (now Biddy Mason Park). The 11-story hotel hadn’t seen a paying guest for more than 30 years.
That is, until now.
Last month, downtown historian Nathan Marsak was at Angels Flight when, as he recalls, “A guy comes up and says, ‘You like the Clark? I just had drinks there.’ And he slaps his receipt down. And I lost my damn mind.”
The lobby inside Hotel Clark.
(Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Times)
Marsak, who admits to “a fetish for old, lost Los Angeles,” once called the Beaux-Arts hotel a “great gray monument to grinding attrition.” Since the 1990s, Marsak has kept watch on the Clark, often labeled a “zombie building” because of its long idleness. Marsak included it in his 2002 book “Los Angeles Neon,” and has looked down upon it from his part-time gig taking tickets atop the Angels Flight Railway on Bunker Hill.
In the downtown community, there had been rumors of a reopening over the years, but that seemed less likely as time went on. Kim Cooper, a close observer of downtown politics and co-owner of Esotouric tours, said that after a while, it seemed that the hotel’s owner, the Chetrit Group, “just locked the door.”
To see that structure “so dilapidated and dirty and covered in bird droppings and decades of grime, it broke my heart,” Marsak said. Still, “as long as they didn’t tear it down, there was always hope.”
When he and relatives bought the hotel 27 years ago, owner Michel Attias of the Chetrit Group said people assumed they would flip the building.
“I guess they know by now that’s not the case,” he said. “Many of those people have left town by now.”
Michel Attias at the Hotel Clark.
(Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Times)
Attias stood in the hotel lobby, whose design leans toward gray, black, white, earth tones and chrome. Guest rooms include zebra-print wallpaper and faux alligator-skin panels.
“We wanted chic modern but also comfortable and warm,” said Attias, noting that new artworks and rugs are still arriving. A “luxury sports bar” is due to open by Super Bowl Sunday. As of Oct. 21, general manager Adrienne Craig said, about 120 of its guest rooms were ready to rent, with others soon to follow. Rates start at about $200 nightly.
There have been at least three near-openings during his firm’s ownership, Attias acknowledged. But now, he said, it’s the right moment.
“We have a lot coming,” he said. “We have the Olympics. Downtown is starting to move again. I’m very, very confident that downtown is going to get back on its feet.”
Members of the Chetrit family, based in New York, hold extensive real estate through multiple companies, some of which have suffered legal and financial troubles in the last two years. In Los Angeles, the Chetrit Group also owns the long-idle Trinity Auditorium, also known as the Embassy Auditorium and Embassy Hotel. Also a 1914 Beaux-Arts building, it includes about 180 guest rooms along with an 1,800-seat performance space. Attias said he hopes to open the Trinity Auditorium before the Olympics.
“We’re not done,” Attias said.
Added Craig: “Hotel Clark is amazing. Trinity is out of this world.”
Vintage postcards and photographs are from the collection of historian Nathan Marsak.
(Courtesy of Nathan Marsak)
Look closely at the Clark, including the rooftop neon and the old fire escapes with the initials “CH” in ironwork (for Clark Hotel), and you may catch hints of its tangled history, from early opulence to urban decay, international intrigue and municipal dysfunction.
Eli P. Clark made big money as a railway pioneer in Los Angeles and beyond. But by 1914 he had moved on to other investments. He built the Clark Hotel with 555 rooms, each with a private bath (a notable luxury at the time) and a bold sign outside proclaiming its “absolutely fireproof” construction.
The building’s rooftop neon signage was apparently added a few decades later, along with the rounded letters that spell the hotel’s name and run vertically down one corner of the building. Dozens of vintage photos of the Clark’s ballrooms, restaurants, ashtrays, room keys, menus, postcards, matchbooks, coat hangers and candleholders are visible at BunkerHillLos Angeles.com, having been gathered by Marsak.
A mosaic by the pool inside Hotel Clark.
(Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Times)
But somewhere in the middle decades of the 20th century, as investors began to look away from downtown, the Clark hit the skids. In a 1975 classified ad in the L.A. Times, the Clark offered rooms at $75-$95 monthly, including “special waterbed suites.”
By the 1980s, the Clark had become a residence of last resort, housing many seniors and others on limited incomes. The nearby Rosslyn (built in 1914, now a mix of low-income and market-rate apartments) and Hotel Cecil (built 1924, now low-income and supportive housing) followed similar paths.
The pool inside Hotel Clark.
(Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Times)
By 1989, the Clark had been acquired by May Wah International Enterprises, which was rooted in China and associated with the Chinese government, Attias said. May Wah vowed to revamp the building with a “friendship store” to market Chinese imports and hotel above that might rival the Biltmore. But first May Wah wanted the old tenants out. Twenty of them filed suit against May Wah, saying they were subjected to spells without heat or water, and won a $1.7-million settlement. But by 1992, May Wah had succeeded in evicting the last two tenants.
By 1999, when May Wah sold it to the Chetrit family, the building was empty, its historic interiors rearranged in anticipation of the Chinese hotel that never opened. (During this period, Attias said, the building’s guest-room count changed from 555 to 348.) As Attias tells the story, the hotel was close to opening in 2008 when that year’s financial crisis hit. It came close again in 2013-14, when the Chetrit family invested in another renovation but ran into opposition from the hospitality workers union Unite Here Local 11 and L.A. City Councilman José Huizar.
“José Huizar,” said Attias dryly. “We know where he is now.” (Huizar, who served on the city council until 2020, pleaded guilty to corruption charges in 2023 and was sentenced to 13 years in federal prison.)
Though the hotel’s owners eventually got the city permissions they needed, Attias said, a partnership with other hoteliers dissolved and the Clark went to the back burner again, as did the Embassy Auditorium. Another near-opening followed in 2019.
Attias said the family decided in 2025 to finally open the Clark, later retaining OTH Hotels Resorts to manage it.
And now, said Attias, “we’re here.”
In mid-September, the Clark had begun a quiet, soft reopening. Now configured with 348 guest rooms, it includes a Mediterranean restaurant called Votana; a cocktail lounge; a 17-by-29-foot courtyard pool, poolside bar and (in homage to Chetrit family history) a pair of Moroccan tile fountains.
In addition, a ballroom with space for 600 is due to be completed soon. Craig estimated that the business, a nonunion shop, employs about 100 people now and will likely reach 200 workers in coming months.
A guest room inside Hotel Clark.
(Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Times)
This rebirth may not comfort those seeking more affordable housing downtown, but for anyone eager to see more legal commerce on Hill Street or more hotel rooms in the run-up to the 2028 Games, it’s progress. This boost in room supply may also encourage travelers who have seen downtown hotel rates jump by more than 10% in the last year. Analytics company CoStar reports that downtown hotels averaged $200-$210 per night from June through September.
“There’s nowhere to go but up,” Craig said. “The possibilities here are endless.”
A few weeks ago, Craig’s team gave Marsak a tour of building (and bought a batch of Angels Flight tickets to distribute among guests. The historian declared himself mostly delighted.
“Having the Clark open, facing Hill Street — which can get rough — is so brave of them,” said Marsak. “I can’t applaud it enough.”
As for the inside and that zebra-print wallpaper, it’s “not what I would have done,” he said. “I believe that Beaux-Arts buildings should be Beaux-Arts inside and out. But you can’t have everything.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a “full lockdown” of the occupied West Bank following a shooting in Hebron, while National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir expands settlers’ access to firearms. Meanwhile, questions emerge over the UN’s role at Gaza’s Rafah crossing.
Al Jazeera’s Marah Rayan brings us the latest from Palestine and Israel.
Published On 23 Oct 202623 Oct 2026
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Burnham announced the decision to approve the drilling of the Jackdaw gas field earlier this week.
Jackdaw is situated 150 miles (241km) east of Aberdeen and is operated by Adura, a joint venture between Shell and Norwegian state energy firm Equinor.
Ministers said the first gas could be produced by the end of this month, helping heat millions of homes, and also announced the creation of a new energy wealth fund.
Environmental campaigners say the decision would hamper efforts to tackle climate change and make “no meaningful difference” to UK energy security.
Based on official forecasts for the amount of gas the UK will need over the next decade, that suggests Jackdaw has the potential to meet around 1.6% of total projected national gas demand between 2026 and 2036.
Operators say it could be connected to the Great British gas network within weeks and could produce gas for the next 11 years.
Trump responded to the decision on Friday, but appeared to confuse oil and gas.
He said: “They’re opening up the North Sea oil. I’ve been after them to do that for two years.”
Trump added: “Andy is getting it done, and I guess it’s against the liberal principle, but he knows what’s right. It’s going to make UK a very wealthy country.”
Earlier this week, on Wednesday, Trump said the decision was “great news for the wealth and prosperity” of the UK.
Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump urged the UK to go “full blast” and called the North Sea “one of the greatest and most prosperous areas of oil in the world”.
A decision is yet to be taken on whether production can begin at Rosebank, the UK’s largest known untapped oil field, which is located off the coast of Shetland in the North Atlantic.
A sentence we never expected to say. Tonight, PM Andy Burnham and Steve Rotherham will make their debut on the show, sitting at 10 Downing Street.
The programme airs in aid of Stand Up To Cancer, and Andy is no stranger to charitable causes. Throughout his tenure as Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy often threw himself into work, helping those around him.
SA Asks: Why did the market sell off after relatively good earnings reports? (Update)
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ARE you racking your brain for new ways to entertain the kids this half term, especially given the unpredictable weather?
Do not fear – here we’ve collated a full list of some of England’s best attractions in EVERY county in the UK, from walks in the rolling countryside, to electrifying museum exhibitions, donkey sanctuaries and even a tour of an enormous board game collection.
Stockford Discovery Centre, Luton
Discover charming gardens, engaging interactive exhibitions and one of Europe’s largest carriage collections.
Dunstable Downs, Dunstable
Soak in the stunning views of the Dunstable Downs, lovingly sculpted by nature over hundreds of years. Miles of circular walks and beautiful nature make it the spot for an afternoon amble.
Reading Museum, Reading
Learn all about Reading’s fascinating history by exploring an assortment of exhibitions, with everything from biscuit tins to beetles, Romans and Rodin. The museum also boasts it’s very own version of the Bayeux Tapestry – painstakingly recreated in full by Victorian embroiderers, and a great option if you’ve not been able to get tickets for the sell-out British Museum exhibition.
The Museum of English Rural Life, Reading
With nine distinct themed galleries, the museum walks you around the most comprehensive collection of rural artefacts ranging from huge steam trains to ancient farming tools.
Banksy free walking tour, Bristol
Bristol is the hometown of the street artist Banksy. Take a self-guided tour through the artist’s very own stomping ground and admire some of his most famous works.
M Shed Museum, Bristol
The 1950s transit shed, originally called M Shed offers visitors a whistlestop tour of the city’s history.
Wycombe Museum (the chair museum), High Wycombe
Quaint grounds holding a collection of local art and furniture from the 17th to the 21st centuries.
Coombe Hill, Dunsmore
Walk from the town base up to the prominent monument for panoramic views across the Chiltern Hills.
The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge
View huge collections of global antiquities, master paintings, pottery and a sprawling number of historical artefacts.
The Museum of Zoology, Cambridge
Enjoy wandering through the vast array of animal specimens, skeletons, fossils, and taxidermy, as well as several exciting educational displays.
Cheshire Story House, Cheshire
More than just a theatre, this beloved venue on Hunter Street offers free family craft sessions run every weekend.
Walk the city walls, Cheshire
Bring a brolly and good set of waterproofs and set off scaling Cheshire’s historic city walls, which includes two miles of Roman gates, medieval towers and stunning views across the city and Welsh hills.
The British Museum, Great Russell Street
The UK’s biggest museum, with the world’s largest collection of works – eight million pieces exploring human history, art, and culture.
The Natural History Museum, South Kensington
One of the UK’s most popular museums with 80 million items, including the famous blue whale skeleton.
Falmouth Art Gallery, Falmouth
View a rotating fine art collection and family exhibitions inside the municipal buildings.
Healeys Cornish Cyder Farm, Penhallow
Visitors can access farm animal areas, historic farming equipment, jam kitchens, and even enjoy some free tasting sessions.
Kendal Castle, Kendal
Bring the dog and pack a picnic to enjoy a scenic stroll around Kendal Castle ruins with stunning views of the town.
Cookhouse Gallery, Windermere
A family run gallery with a wide selection of gorgeous paintings inspired by the local natural beauty.
Derby Museum and Art Gallery, Derby
Home to the world’s largest collection of works by Joseph Wright of Derby, it features a range of historic artefacts and stunning artworks.
Pickford’s House, Derby
Pickford’s House is located in a Georgian townhouse and features exhibitions of domestic life from the 18th to 20th centuries.
Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery, Exeter
Explore free galleries covering local history, natural history, world cultures, and an Egyptian tomb.
The Donkey Sanctuary, Sidmouth
Enjoy cuddling the 500 donkeys and mules looked after by cheerful charity workers.
Tyneham Village, Wareham
Amble through the abandoned village of Tyneham, which was evacuated in December 1943 during WWII and still looks the same as it did 80 years ago.
Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Walk down the iconic steep cobbled street featured in the Hovis advert. Enjoy incredible views of the sloping countryside, as well as the village’s quaint shops and cafes.
Durham University Oriental Museum, Durham
Discover extensive art and archaeology collections from North Africa and Asia.
Locomotion Rail Museum, Shildon
Home to Europe’s largest undercover collection of historic rail vehicles.
Arctic Corsair, Hull
Dive into Hull’s deep-sea fishing industry at this museum that includes a historic deep-sea trawler built in 1960.
Ferens Art Gallery, Hull
A fine art collection with everything from Viking swords and Roman mosaics to a full-sized Woolly Mammoth.
The Laines, Brighton
Wander the historic laines of Brighton, with winding cobbled streets that lead to endless jewellers and quaint trinket shops.
Hastings Fishermen’s Museum
A small but mighty museum exploring the history of Hastings‘ fishing industry, featuring boats, videos, and a small shop.
Clacton Pier, Clacton-on-sea
Europe’s largest pleasure pier has something for all ages, from exhilarating rides to mountains of arcade machines and gorgeous sea views.
Pets Corner, Harlow
Pet, stroke and feed the animals at pets corner, with dozens of farmyard friends and even some exotic extras.
The Museum of Board Games, Newent
Explore the unique museum’s 600 collection spanning the 19th century through the mid 20th century, including early linen-printed history boards and 1950s TV-themed games.
Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail
Enjoy a 4.5-mile stroll through beautiful forest, stopping to enjoy the spectacle of woodland sculptures.
Myddelton House Gardens, Enfield
Former home and gardens of the horticulturist, Edward Bowles.
William Morris Gallery, London
Step inside the famous textile designer’s former home and learn about his influence on the design industry.
Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester
Home to 250 years of innovations across science and technology, as well as UK’s oldest surviving train station.
People’s History Museum, Manchester
Learn about the history of the working class in the UK, with displays on the Peterloo Massacre and the women’s suffrage movement.
New Forest National Park
Walk or cycle through the magical New Forest countryside. Pause to watch the friendly free-roaming ponies and spot the cattle and deer munching away in the meadows.
Fort Nelson, Fareham
Explore the huge Victorian fort and view over 700 artillery pieces with free admission via the Royal Armouries.
The Cat’s Back trail, Craswall
Take a dramatic ridge walk along the border for stunning valley views.
Longtown Castle, Hereford
Explore the overgrown medieval ruins and clamber over rugged stone walls.
Natural History Museum of Tring
Enjoy quirky Victorian zoological collections and fossils. The museum houses one of the finest collections of mammals, birds, reptiles and insects in the UK.
North Hertfordshire Museum, Hitchin
Take in a delightful selection of local history galleries and art, including a woolly mammoth tusk to a pair of Stanley Matthews’s football boots.
Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary, Ventnor
Home to rescued donkeys and ponies, a great day out for animal lovers. Visitors can relax afterwards at the cafe or enjoy browsing the gift shop packed with pony-themed trinkets.
The Isle of Wight Bus & Coach Museum, Ryde
Enjoy free entry and browse and climb aboard vintage buses and coaches. The museum is home to impressive collection of Island buses and coaches dating from 1927 to modern day models.
Maidstone Museum, Maidstone
Collection of more than 600,000 artefacts and specimens, exploring fine art, human history, and textiles.
The Beaney House of Art & Knowledge, Canterbury
Housed in a Grade II listed building, the museum is home to some of Canterbury’s best artworks.
Harris Museum and Art Gallery, Preston
Discover art, culture, and history, with displays on printed textiles, the remains of an elk, and glassblown scent bottles.
Samlesbury Hall, Samlesbury
A stately home dating back to 1185 with a cafe, shepherd huts and UK’s first wafflery.
New Walk Museum and Art Gallery, Leicester
Displays include a 15-metre Rutland Dinosaur and stories about Leicester’s achievements and obstacles.
Newarke Houses Museum, Leicester
Built in 1511, with exhibits on the Leicestershire Regiment and Tudor objects.
Lincoln Museum and Usher Gallery, Lincolnshire
Showcases everything from artefacts from the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages, to works by Turner, as well as forensic processes of the Anglo Saxons.
Museum of Lincolnshire Life, Lincolnshire
Home to 250,000 items dating back to 1750, including a World War I tank, as well as a museum trail and playground for kids.
Victoria Gallery and Museum, Liverpool
Uncover artworks across different eras, including archaeological items and oceanography displays.
Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool
National gallery of the North, with paintings and sculptures from Rembrandt, David Hockney and Rodin.
Crabbing in Wells
Grab a pack of bacon and your crabbing gear and set up camp at Wells’s famous crabbing quay.
Norwich Cathedral
Explore the 44-acre close and join free hourly guided tours from Monday to Saturday.
Dorman Museum, Middlesbrough
Discover the town’s history with dinosaur installations and a slice of meteorite from space.
Northampton Museum and Art Gallery, Northampton
Tour the quaint museum’s fascinating array of displays, including its shoe collection, fine and decorative art and local heritage artefacts.
Wellingborough Museum, Wellingborough
Traverse through Wellingborough’s local social history. Includes artifacts and rotating family-friendly community exhibits inside a distinctive Victorian building.
The Grace Darling Museum, Bamburgh
A unique museum that teaches visitors about the life of Victorian Britain’s greatest heroine, Grace Darling, who risked her life to rescue nine survivors from the wrecked SS Forfarshire in 1838.
Hardian’s Wall, Brampton
Explore one of England’s national treasures, Hadrian’s Wall, the most heavily fortified and best-preserved land frontier of the ancient Roman Empire.
Sherwood Forest, Mansfield
Wander the forest once home to Robin Hood and discover the history of the legend of the archer and his Merry Men who stole from the rich to give to the poor.
Green’s Windmill and Science Centre, Nottingham
Climb a working 19th-century windmill and explore interactive science exhibits dedicated to mathematical physicist George Green.
Ashmolean Museum, Oxford
The world’s first university museum, featuring vast art and archaeology collections opened in 1683 thanks to gifts from Elias Ashmole.
Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford
Famous for its dense Victorian-style cabinets filled with global anthropological and archaeological artifacts. Connected to Oxford’s Museum of Natural History, which is also free.
Rutland County Museum, Rutland
More than just your run-of-the-mill museum, Rutland offers interactive family-friendly exhibits like an AR iSandBox and a Jurassic Sea Dragon virtual reality experience.
Oakham Castle, Oakham
Travel through time as you explore the 12th-century Norman Great Hall in famous for its unique collection of more than 200 ceremonial horseshoes, and plenty more historic gems.
The British Ironwork Museum, Oswestry
Home to a selection of sculptures, awe-inspiring artworks, and stunning trial walks. Offers free entry during off-peak periods, such as Tuesdays to Fridays during September to February.
Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery, Shrewsbury
Set in a Victorian music hall, Shrewsbury museum features local and international artefacts and art.
The Museum of Somerset, Taunton
Explore 400 million years of Taunton’s history across nine galleries, including an 80,000-year-old Banwell Bear Ice Age skull
Visit Cheddar Gorge
Explore the nation’s biggest gorge on foot, enjoying dramatic limestone cliffs and hiking trails.
Kelham Island Museum, Sheffield
Learn about life in Victorian-era Sheffield, with artefacts including a 1760’s chocolate pot and Metrovick milk float.
Millennium Gallery, Sheffield
All things art and design in Sheffield, including one of the finest collections of metalwork in the world.
Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum, Lichfield
Learn about the first lexicographer Samuel Johnson, who created A Dictionary of the English Language.
Stafford Castle, Stafford
Step back to 1100 AD with archaeological artefacts and learn about the history of the castle.
Christchurch Mansion, Ipswich
Tudor brick mansion featuring collection of items from the Tudor period including clothing, children’s toys, and musical instruments.
Nowton Park, Bury St Edmunds
A 200-acre park featuring a maze, a totem pole, wildflower meadows, and a large arboretum.
Mercedes-Benz World
See up to 100 rare and exotic cars up close, while also stopping to absorb the electric atmosphere from the track.
Guildford House Gallery
Browse free rotating art displays and local craft exhibitions, including antique furniture, fine plaster ceilings, a unique painted closet.
South Shields Museum and Art Gallery, South Shields
Discover the history of South Tyneside inside this historic building with a Victorian tea room, served by costumed staff.
OuseBurn Farm, Newcastle upon Tyne
Located in the heart of Newcastle, the working city farm includes animals, gardens, fields for strolls, and a sensory trail.
St Nicholas’s Park, Warwick
Parked next to Warwick Castle, the iconic park offers large open green spaces, a great children’s playground, and scenic riverside walks.
Rugby Art Gallery and Museum
Explore a mix of local history and contemporary art. The museum and gallery is home to 220 pieces of 20th-century and contemporary British art and interaction displays of Roman artefacts.
National Memorial Arboretum, Alrewas
British site of national remembrance with over 400 memorials and 25,000 trees.
Aston Hall, Birmingham
Grade I-listed Jacobean house with a beautiful public park, as well as collections from the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery.
Petworth Park, Petworth
Explore 700 acres of free landscaped parkland and spot its historic herd of fallow deer.
Chichester Cathedral
Step inside the 950-year-old landmark and soak in the history, but don’t forget to look out for the resident peregrine falcons.
Royal Armouries, Leeds
Historic weaponry and armour, from Japanese samurai swords to modern warfare including Henry VIII’s armour.
Bolling Hall Museum, Bradford
Learn about the lives of the families that lived in Bolling Hall over different time periods.
Longleat House, Warminster
Explore an Elizabethan manor house with 900 acres of parkland. It features featuring fine art, period furnishings, and 19th-century Crace interiors.
Avebury Stone Circle, Marlborough
Explore the famous standing stone monument and 17th-century stables housing a museum to the iconic monument.
Malvern Hills
Wander iconic hills, famous for being home to fresh spring water, and enjoy panoramic views of the sloping countryside.
Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum, Worcester
Enjoy local-history displays, fine art and relics in a Victorian-era brick building with gift shop and cafe.
By Eric Tucker and Alanna Durkin Richer
WASHINGTON — Two former FBI intelligence officials who specialized in foreign election interference were charged on Friday with making false statements to Congress about their roles in investigating Hunter Biden’s laptop in the run-up to the 2020 presidential election.
Nikki Floris and Bradley Benavides surrendered Friday and made their first appearance in federal court in Washington, where their lawyers pressed for a speedy hearing at which they could contest the allegations against them.
The Department of Justice says Floris and Benavides lied to Congress in 2023 about the involvement of a specialized foreign-influence task force in investigations into Biden as well as their knowledge of the laptop.
Floris’ attorneys called her “a patriot” and said she has “served our nation as a dedicated FBI intelligence officer for nearly 20 years.”
“Yet today, the DOJ has accused her falsely of a crime on the say-so of politicians, not on the facts,” her attorneys said in a statement. “It’s no coincidence the government is filing these nonsense charges now, years later, on the eve of an election.”
The case was filed 10 days before the Nov. 3 elections and marks the latest in a series of splashy and politically charged investigative actions the Department of Justice has undertaken in the run-up to the midterm contests.
The prosecution, a rare Department of Justice criminal case against a former employee, revisits a tangled and peculiar saga that roiled the final weeks of the 2020 race. It also comes amid a broader, backward-looking effort by FBI Director Kash Patel, who before taking over the nation’s premier law enforcement agency was a harsh critic of it, to scrutinize high-profile episodes from the bureau’s recent past that for years have animated President Trump’s conservative base.
“Lying to Congress by senior FBI officials strikes at the heart of our system. No one is above the law,” Patel said in a statement posted on X.
The revelation of the laptop’s existence in October 2020 injected a thorny storyline in the race between Trump, the Republican incumbent, and Hunter Biden’s father, Joe Biden, Trump’s Democratic challenger, who went on to win the race.
The laptop’s contents were publicized by the New York Post, which said it had obtained from Trump ally Rudy Giuliani a hard drive of a computer dropped off by Hunter Biden at a Wilmington, Delaware, repair shop. The laptop contained emails that appeared to show discussions of the younger Biden’s foreign business dealings.
The peculiar circumstances of the laptop’s discovery raised concerns among Democrats and former intelligence officials about the possibility of Russian disinformation, particularly when the Trump administration’s own intelligence community was assessing that Russia was attempting to interfere on Trump’s behalf in the election and as Giuliani had traveled abroad looking for dirt on the Bidens.
Hunter Biden was subsequently charged with, and convicted of, gun and tax offenses during his father’s administration. President Biden pardoned him in his final weeks in office.
The Justice Department historically looks to avoid public and overt investigative acts in the direct lead-up to an election that involve candidates or that risk influencing an outcome. But officials in the last two weeks have made a series of bold moves in cases with political undertones, including a search of Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar’s house in an immigration fraud investigation and a corruption indictment unsealed Thursday against powerful Democratic Virginia state Sen. L. Louise Lucas.
Floris and Benavides, two experienced intelligence officials, led the FBI’s since-disbanded Foreign Intelligence Task Force, or FITF, when the laptop was discovered. They are accused by the Justice Department of making false statements in Congress in 2023 by saying that the FITF was not involved in investigations related to Hunter Biden when contemporaneous messages proved otherwise, according to a criminal complaint filed against them.
The case brings renewed attention to the work of the task force, which was established in the first Trump administration to police influence campaigns staged by Russia and other nations aimed at sowing discord, undermining democracy and spreading disinformation. The task force became a magnet of congressional Republican criticism during the Biden investigation and was disbanded in February 2025 by then-Attorney General Pam Bondi in one of her first acts on the job.
Tucker and Richer write for the Associated Press.
Marshall Faulk is an extraordinarily active 53-year-old. The first-ballot NFL Hall of Fame running back is the head football coach at Southern University in Baton Rouge, La. He runs a foundation in his name that assists underprivileged youth. He works out. He plays a lot of golf.
And he has Parkinson’s disease.
Faulk revealed his diagnosis on The Caring Neurologist podcast this week, saying he noticed Parkinson’s symptoms on the golf course.
“The rigidity in my hand, just sometimes after I play a lot or I practice a lot,” he said. “I just thought it was normal nerves when putting and stuff like that. But it started to be times where I was playing, but I wasn’t in a match, and it would still do that. I was like, ‘Wow, is that normal?’”
Faulk said he was diagnosed about 18 months ago. An unfailing optimist in his social media dispatches and a fiery truth-teller when addressing his team, the former Rams Super Bowl champion described himself on the podcast as “one of the lucky ones” because he caught the disease early.
“The doctor was like, ‘You need to go get checked,’” he said. “You need to go have X, Y and Z done. You’re at an age, it’s possible; it’s likely that it’s not, but you need to go get checked.’”
He jumped on the phone to speak with other former NFL players who share the diagnosis.
“They told me about some of the symptoms and things they had that they thought [were] just football-related, that it didn’t relate to Parkinson’s in any manner,” Faulk said. “They wish, in those early stages, if they had maybe just known a little earlier, they would be in better shape.”
Former Green Bay Packers greats Brett Favre and Ahman Green currently live with Parkinson’s. So does former quarterback Bernie Kosar.
St. Louis Rams’ Marshall Faulk, left, straight-arms Lofa Tatupu of the Seattle Seahawks during a 2005 NFL game.
(Elaine Thompson / Associated Press)
Perhaps the most noteworthy sports figure to battle Parkinson’s was boxing great Muhammad Ali, who died in 2016. Faulk met Ali at a dinner and said on the podcast that he is comforted by the memory.
“He leaned over to me and he whispered, ‘You a bad boy,’” Faulk said. “And then he made a couple other comments. I was like, ‘He’s all there.’ So knowing that, I didn’t look at it like life is going to end.”
Faulk was seemingly indestructible as a player. An All-American at San Diego State, he was drafted second overall by the Indianapolis Colts in 1994 and immediately made an impact, rushing for more than 1,000 yards for the first of seven times and being named NFL rookie of the year.
Faulk was traded to the then St. Louis Rams ahead of the 1999 season and led their “Greatest Show on Turf” offense to a Super Bowl XXXIV victory in January 2000. The following season, Faulk was named NFL MVP. He transitioned to the NFL Network broadcast booth after retiring in 2005 having rushed for 12,279 yards and 100 touchdowns while also catching 767 passes for another 36 touchdowns.
He got into coaching in 2025, joining Deion Sanders’ staff at Colorado. When the opportunity arose to become the head coach at Southern, Faulk didn’t hesitate even though he already had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s.
“I could have stayed at Colorado. I was comfortable. But I’ve never done well in life when comfortable,” he said at his introductory news conference at Southern. “And I’m not gonna lie to you. This is uncomfortable, and I like it.”
The Jaguars, an HBCU school competing in the FCS, are 3-4 in Faulk’s first season after going 2-10 in 2025. Faulk’s messages to his players go beyond football. On Thursday he posted this on Instagram: “Protecting your game goes far beyond avoiding injury. Protect your body. Protect your mind. Protect your circle. Protect your future.
“The decisions you make away from the field can have just as much impact on your future as what happens between the lines,” he continued. “Choose the people, habits, and environments that move you closer to where you want to go. Send this to a young athlete who needs this reminder today.”
Helping others is why he decided to open up about his Parkinson’s diagnosis, he told host Dr. Sandeep Thakkar on the podcast.
“I want to help as many people as I can,” he said. “What you want to do with that information is pass it on to the next generation to make sure that they have it better, that they know more. And you’re doing it to leave this world a better place than it was when I got here.”
Voters in Brazil are headed to the polls for the second time in one month, as Senator Flavio Bolsonaro and President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva square off in a run-off election to decide who will hold the presidency for the next four years.
While Bolsonaro outperformed expectations during the first round of voting on October 4, when he beat Lula by less than two percentage points but failed to secure the majority needed to avoid a run-off, the leftist president has sought to rally supporters ahead of the second round.
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The vote on Sunday will decide whether Brazil joins a growing list of countries across Latin America that have handed victories to far-right candidates promising closer ties with the United States, a hard hand on crime and insecurity, and market-friendly economic policies.
Brazil under Lula has emerged as a key holdout against that shift, and a Bolsonaro victory on Sunday would galvanise conservatives in the region seeking to extend their winning streak to the largest country in Latin America.
The run-off will take place on October 25, 2026.
The first round on October 4 saw Bolsonaro win 47 percent of the vote compared with just more than 45 percent for Lula, with the remainder of the votes distributed among several largely conservative candidates who did not advance to the next round.
While most polls had anticipated a close race that would go to a run-off, Lula had been slightly favoured to win the first round of voting. While Bolsonaro’s margin of victory was small, his overperformance indicated a level of enduring appeal for the political right that caught many Lula supporters off guard.
In addition to Bolsonaro’s success, even as his father, former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, serves a 27-year prison sentence for his involvement in a coup plot following his loss to Lula in 2022, right-wing candidates also racked up wins in legislative races across the country.
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, simply referred to as Lula, is the incumbent president and the candidate for the Workers Party, or PT.
His time in office has been defined by an effort to pair political democracy with material improvement for the country’s poor and efforts to build ties between developing, non-Western countries on the global stage.
The 80-year-old is seeking his fourth, non-consecutive term, hoping that his record of popularity and support for social programmes, credited by supporters with transforming the country, will help stave off a Bolsonaro win.
Lula clinched a third term in 2022, marking a dramatic comeback following a stint in prison based on corruption charges that were later overturned following revelations of prosecutorial impropriety.
But a highly polarised political landscape has hindered Lula’s ability to usher in ambitious and sweeping reforms during his third term.
Notable successes, such as sharp drops in unemployment and poverty and tackling deforestation in the Amazon rainforest, have been countered by rising household indebtedness that has strained families across the country.
A corruption scandal centring on disgraced banker Daniel Vorcaro has also implicated powerful figures and institutions across the political spectrum, including Bolsonaro himself as well as several members of the country’s Supreme Court, a target of right-wing ire for the conviction and sentencing of the elder Bolsonaro.
Senator Flavio Bolsonaro is running as the candidate of the right-wing Liberal Party.
The 45-year-old has emerged as the de facto leader of the country’s political right, filling a role previously held by his father before his conviction for a plot to remain in power despite his loss to Lula in 2022.
The younger Bolsonaro has sought to project a more polished image than his father while pledging continuity with many of his beliefs and policy priorities and promising to fight for his release from prison if elected.
He has pledged a militarised approach towards crime and insecurity posed by organised gangs in close partnership with the administration of United States President Donald Trump, who has sought to expand US military involvement across Latin America through ties with right-wing allies in the name of combatting crime.
Bolsonaro has also promised to rein in inflation and government spending, with an adviser stating that he would implement a debt ceiling if elected.
In the days after the first round, Bolsonaro has said he would “redemocratise” Brazil by reforming the constitution. The constitution was put in place after Brazil’s return to democracy in the 1980s, and Bolsonaro’s father has long expressed open nostalgia for the dictatorship period. There’s heavy speculation that Bolsonaro could be seeking to reform the judiciary, after his father’s legal setbacks. He has also promised to restore tax cuts for the events sector.
While many members of the PT were despondent following Bolsonaro’s first-round victory, Lula quickly urged his supporters to rally for the run-off and threw himself into campaigning.
He has also taken credit for his party’s long-sought constitutional amendment to reduce the six-day work week and promised free public transport on weekends.
Pro-Lula demonstrations in cities across the country have attracted millions of people, helping galvanise the president’s voters and cut into Bolsonaro’s lead. Bolsonaro has held his own rallies, hoping to capitalise on momentum and consolidate support from other conservative parties.
The two candidates held a combative debate on October 18, exchanging insults and accusing each other of corruption.
Questions of outside intervention have also been a theme in the campaign’s closing days, with US social media giant Meta facing allegations that it restricted pro-Lula activity online in a bid to support Bolsonaro.
Concerns about foreign interference, in particular from the US, have loomed over the campaign since the beginning.
The Trump administration has repeatedly sought to intervene in Brazilian politics, previously introducing steep tariffs and penalties against judicial officials in a bid to have the case against the elder Bolsonaro tossed out and mirroring rhetoric on the Brazilian right to cast doubt on the reliability of the country’s voting system.
Trump has himself used false claims of widespread fraud to ignore unfavourable election results, and observers have expressed concern that the US could throw its support behind Bolsonaro based on such claims even if he were to lose the race.
After his victory in the first round, Bolsonaro emerged as the race’s de facto frontrunner. But polls continue to show a close race, with Lula cutting into Bolsonaro’s lead but continuing to trail within the margin of error.
Speculation that Bolsonaro might pull ahead decisively following the first round, after other conservative candidates failed to advance to the run-off, has not yet appeared in new polls.
A Nexus poll released on Monday showed Bolsonaro winning 46.5 percent of the vote in the second round, with Lula taking 45.9 percent. A poll from the previous week had shown Bolsonaro with 47.9 percent and Lula with 45.1 percent.
Another poll by AtlasIntel and Bloomberg, also released on Monday, showed Bolsonaro with 49.8 percent versus 47.6 percent for Lula. An October 9 poll had shown Bolsonaro with 51.1 percent and Lula with 45.7.
A Quaest poll released on October 21 showed Bolsonaro’s lead continuing to drop, with Lula winning 44 percent and Bolsonaro 45 percent.
Antiterrorism prosecutors investigating motive of attack that seriously wounded five, including a 12-year-old girl.
Published On 23 Oct 202623 Oct 2026
A gunman has killed one person and wounded five others, including a 12-year-old girl, in a possible Islamophobic “terrorist crime” in the Paris suburbs, authorities said.
An unidentified 39-year-old male suspect was taken into custody shortly after the attacks in the towns of Trappes and nearby La Verriere outside the capital on Friday.
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Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the suspect fired at a children’s playground, a fuel station and a medical centre, the Reuters news agency reported. Three of the victims, including the 12-year-old girl, suffered life-threatening injuries, he said.
Nunez said the attack lasted less than 15 minutes and that the gunman appeared to have used “a military-grade weapon, or at least an automatic weapon”. Prosecutors were treating it as a “terrorist crime” and investigating whether it was racially or religiously motivated, he said.
Trappes Mayor Ali Rabeh said the gunman “appeared to be firing at random and seemed intent on carrying out a massacre”.
“This was a terrorist attack with racist, likely Islamophobic, overtones,” he said.
Rabeh earlier said two of the victims were of African and North African origins.
French President Emmanuel Macron said national antiterrorism prosecutors had taken over the case.
“Our thoughts go out to the victims, their families, and all the residents of Yvelines. In this terrible ordeal, the Nation stands by their side,” Macron posted on X.
Separately, security was tightened ahead of protests that are expected across the country this weekend. Many of the demonstrations have been banned following burning and looting at protests last weekend.
Nunez said France would deploy 70,000 officers nationwide on Saturday, along with helicopters, armoured vehicles and water cannon. In addition, elite police units will help secure public buildings, such as city halls, in a “highly mobile” security operation, he said.
Protests last week caused chaos, with people setting fires, storming public buildings, smashing shop windows, looting and clashing with police, in France’s most violent unrest in years.
Far-right politicians say the government has not cracked down hard enough on protesters, while left-wing groups say the security around demonstrations violates rights.
Demonstrators plan to take to the streets again on Saturday to denounce the high cost of living. Students, members of the Confederation of Labour, a national trade union and activists from the “yellow vest” movement, whose demonstrations against social injustice shook France in 2018 and 2019, are all set to join.
IT was the end of a perfect summer in the South of France, but within days of returning to the UK, Chloe Khan’s world came crashing down.
Almost all of her incredible designer collection of bags and shoes was stolen, in what she believes could have been a targeted attack.
And now two weeks on, the 35-year-old, who first rose to fame on X Factor, is no closer to finding any of her items – despite offering a £10k reward for information.
But Chloe, who believes she lost £400k of designer clothes in the robbery, has vowed to continue shopping and sharing her glam life online.
“I am a materialistic person and I do love beautiful stuff, but at the same time my family’s all healthy and happy,” she said.
“They’ve already taken all my physical items off me, they’re not going to take my personality off me as well.
“That’s what I enjoy posting, that’s my lifestyle post, I’m not going to wear an average outfit.”
Speaking for the first time about the devastating blow, Chloe, who lives in Belgravia with her private businessman boyfriend, said: “I was completely wiped out.
“It was around £400k worth of stuff – it was like my lifelong collection of stuff. I took everything over so that my closet was nice over there.”
The items included a pink Birkin bag, worth £30k, another orange Birkin, a Christian Dior Himalayan Lady Dior worth £26k, as well as numerous luxury items and one- off pieces that have never been worn.
Chloe travelled back to England via train so her beloved pomeranian pooch could be with her – while her driver was tasked with bringing her belongings back via car.
She loaded up the car with five cases full to the brim with her expensive wardrobe, but three days after she arrived home there was no sign of her items.
“I presumed it was still in transit. But it turns out after arriving back in the UK our driver parked the vehicle near to where he lives instead of my home.
“Without me knowing that my items were already back in the UK, he left the car there, the vehicle there for three days in a car park that says ‘do not leave valuable items’ and the car was smashed into and everything was taken.”
Her valuables were later found in a field a mile away from the car park by a dog walker, who managed to track Chloe down.
The police were contacted and CCTV showed a car entering the carpark around the time the robbery was expected to have taken place. No arrests have been made.
It’s been incredibly difficult for Chloe to deal with and has left her questioning her driver.
She said: “I’ve been really suspicious of the driver, but he’s worked for my boyfriend for 23 years, they’ve got a really close relationship.
“The whole family all really trusted him, but the day after it happened, the driver resigned the same day. There was no apology, not even an ‘oh my God, are you okay?’
“So obviously at the time I thought I had clearly been set up here.
“But now after speaking with my boyfriend and his family – we think he’s mentioned to someone he’s bringing all this stuff over and I think they’ve targeted it.
“The information has got to the wrong person. So I think it’s more of a loose lips, stupid situation. Regardless, it’s just such a neglectful thing to do and it was so avoidable by him.”
Chloe has been dating her boyfriend for the past year but is yet to reveal his identity.
She decided to share news of her robbery on social media in the hope she could retrieve some of the items.
But Chloe came under fire from trolls who told her “you deserve it for sharing all your stuff online”.
It didn’t deter the star though and the next day she headed to Harrods to try and build up her collection once again.
Unfortunately she didn’t have the right insurance, which means she’s been unable to claim any money back.
Speaking to me as they holidayed in the Serengeti – in the same villa Jeff Bezos stayed in the week before – she said: “I don’t think this has happened because of what I share online although I do know obviously it can make you a big target to share stuff like that online.
“What it has done is give me a trauma about suitcases to be honest because just a few days before this my daughter was in France travelling with my Louis Vuitton suitcase and it was stolen.
“I just never want to see a suitcase again and I also don’t want to transport my stuff from place to place.”
Despite everything she has been through, Chloe isn’t letting it put a damper on her incredible life.
“I’ve actually surprised myself how I’ve dealt with it because I’ve not cried once, I’ve not actually let it get me down,” she said.
Chloe has come a long way from when she first appeared on TV back in 2009 on the BBC Three show Snog, Marry, Avoid.
But it was the following year that the star – who went by the name Chloe Mafia – really became a household name.
In 2010, she auditioned for the X Factor and warbled her way through Summertime and a Shakira song – and got through to boot camp.
But she was kicked off the show after admitting she’d stayed up all night partying.
A few other reality TV shows followed and Chloe – who had her daughter Destiny when she was just 16 – went on to earn millions through a webcam business.
During lockdown she was earning $700k a month on OnlyFans, which she gave up last year when she met her man.
Reflecting on her success, she said: “It just feels like a completely different life.
“It doesn’t feel like two chapters of one book, it feels like two separate books.”
Now Chloe and her daughter, who is now 18, spend their days travelling the world in luxury.
She describes her little girl as a ‘stay at home daughter’, while she is a ‘spoilt girlfriend’ and is enjoying every second of it.
It’s also meant she has been able to move on from the robbery – with a very positive outlook.
“I thought to myself the other day – there are people in life that have struggles, some people might struggle with mental health or some people with actual physical health conditions or some people might have financial difficulties,” she said.
“For me, for some reason, mine is that I always get robbed. And I think if that’s my worst thing in life then my life’s actually quite good then, because it could be so much worse.
“When I got the news that all my stuff had been robbed I thought, do you know what, at this exact same minute someone’s got the news that they’ve got a month to live. Being robbed is not the worst thing in the world yet, it’s s**t. But it’s happened before and I’ll start again.”
Earnings Call Insights: Vitec Software Group AB (VITBF) Q3 2026
CEO Olle Backman framed Q3 as steady execution, saying, “the highlights for the quarter, of course, continued to grow at 15% in total sales” and adding that “EBITDA also up 15%” while “cash EBIT… was up 13%.”
Seeking Alpha’s Disclaimer: This article was automatically generated by an AI tool based on content available on the Seeking Alpha website, and has not been curated or reviewed by humans. Due to inherent limitations in using AI-based tools, the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of such articles cannot be guaranteed. This article is intended for informational purposes only. Seeking Alpha does not take account of your objectives or your financial situation and does not offer any personalized investment advice. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank.
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has filed a lawsuit to block certification of the Senate race in Alaska if Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan loses the contest while another candidate with the same name is on the ballot, kicking off what many have feared could become a lengthy battle between the U.S. government and states over certifying an election where the president’s party is struggling.
Many in both parties believe the fight could come down to Alaska, where Sullivan faces Democrat Mary Peltola. Also on the Alaska ballot is a Daniel J. Sullivan from the tiny fishing community of Petersburg. He has said he decided to run on his own, but Republicans have contended he’s a Democratic plant to siphon votes away from their candidate.
On Thursday, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit in federal court in Alaska demanding that the state be blocked from certifying a Peltola win if the other Sullivan remains on the ballot. “The United States accordingly brings this lawsuit to protect the integrity of the 2026 Senate election in Alaska,” the lawsuit alleges, contending that federal law requires states to protect the integrity of federal elections.
The Alaska Supreme Court rejected previous Republican efforts to remove the other Sullivan from the ballot, and the state’s Republican officials made the decisions about how to list him on the ballot. The other Sullivan will appear without a party designation next to his name, while the senator will be listed as the Republican incumbent. Alaska’s ranked choice voting system also will allow voters to select both of the men if confused.
The Trump Department of Justice has increasingly been used to bolster the president’s political operation, targeting his enemies and filing lawsuits against Democratic-controlled states in the run up to the election. Democrats and many voting rights advocates have long feared the Trump administration will try to block certification of elections the president’s party loses much as Trump unsuccessfully tried to do when he lost the 2020 presidential election.
Earlier Thursday, U.S. Atty. Gen. Todd Blanche told reporters that was unlikely outside of extreme circumstances. “It is not DOJ’s intention to and it’s never our intention to improperly interfere with elections or the state certification process,” the attorney general told reporters in Virginia.
Derek Muller, a law professor at Notre Dame University, said the lawsuit will likely only kick in if Republicans narrowly lose the Alaska Senate race and that it does not seem to have legal merit. “The statute simply doesn’t let the Department of Justice enjoin certification,” he said.
Riccardi writes for the Associated Press.
